This paper reports on simulations of solid mass-limited targets (MLT) via electrodynamic two-dimensional, three velocity component particle-in-cell simulations. The interaction with long (300 fs) high intensity (1020 W/cm2) laser pulses with targets of diameter down to 1 Î¼m is described in detail with respect to electron dynamics and proton and ion acceleration. Depending on the foil diameter, different effects consecutively arise. Electrons laterally recirculate within the target, smoothening the target rear accelerating sheath and increasing the hot electron density and temperature. Our results suggest that the most significant ion energy enhancement should be expected for MLT with diameter below the laser focal spot size. The spread of energetic protons is decreased for medium sized foils while it is greatly increased for foils of size near the focal spot size.

A complete analytical description of ion acceleration in the laser radiation-pressure regime is presented. The combined effects of hot electron and light-pressure phenomena are used to qualitatively and quantitatively describe most recent experimental results in this regime. An essential part of...

Protons in a microtarget embedded in an underdense high-mass plasma can be accelerated sequentially by the radiation pressure of a short circularly polarized laser pulse and the induced wake bubble field in the background plasma, which has been shown in detail by two-dimensional particle in cell...

We present a stand-alone system to characterize the high-energy particles emitted in the interaction of ultrahigh intensity laser pulses with matter. According to the laser and target characteristics, electrons or protons are produced with energies higher than a few mega electron volts. Selected...

A simple analytical model for intense-laser interaction with low-density plasma is used to investigate the dependence of the wake structure on the laser parameters and the background plasma density. Many of the properties observed in the existing multidimensional particle-in-cell simulations are...

We have observed the optical guiding of a 100-fs laser pulse with the laser intensity in the range of 1016 W/cm2 using a 1.5-cm long capillary discharge-produced plasma channel for compact electron acceleration applications. The optical pulse propagation using the plasma channel is achieved with...

Reduction of proton acceleration in the interaction of a high-intensity, picosecond laser with a 50-Î¼m aluminum target was observed when 0.1â€“6 Î¼m of plastic was deposited on the back surface (opposite side of the laser). The maximum energy and number of energetic protons observed at...

The Rayleigh-Taylor instability in the radiation pressure dominated regime of ion acceleration is studied by means of multidimensional particle-in-cell simulations. It is shown that the growth of the long wavelength mode of the instability can be reduced by transverse diffusion of ions coming...

Ponderomotive acceleration of electrons by a short laser pulse undergoing relativistic self-focusing in a plasma is investigated. The saturation in nonlinear plasma permittivity causes periodic self-focusing of the laser. The periodicity lengths are different for different axial segments of the...